Chocolate Cauldrons and Bedtime Stories
by HeathyrAnn
Summary: Love compels us to do peculiar things.An HBP missing moment Contains HBP spoilers
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Well, I own some things, but I do not own these characters, or anything else related to Harry Potter. Enjoy the story!

Ginny Weasley dragged her tired limbs through the deserted halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and silently cursed the bag she was carrying which currently held twice the amount of books it did normally. After such a grueling morning on the pitch, all she wanted to do was relax under the warm sun and enjoy this beautiful day, but she had essays to write, and a brother to visit, so she fought the urge to break through the front doors as she passed, and trudged onwards toward the hospital wing.

_Hermione would kill me if I didn't drop off Ron's work,_ she thought, convincing herself that there were more important matters at stake here. _And if Hermione killed me, Harry would end up in a bed next to Gilderoy Lockhart in St. Mungo's because losing another player from the house team could only lead to his insanity._ Ginny chuckled to herself but the laughter quickly left her eyes as her mind started to wander into dangerous territory.

Harry.

_I have a boyfriend_, she argued inwardly. _Dean's wonderful and he cares for me. Besides, Harry's never thought of me as anyone except his best mates little sister._ It was true; Harry Potter had been the object of Ginny Weasley's affection since she'd learned of the Boy-Who-Bloody-Lived many years ago during bedtime stories, but he had been given ample opportunity to express some feeling other than friendship toward her, and he hadn't. Lost in her own thoughts, Ginny never saw the blurred, blonde mass that flew around the corner until it was too late.

"Hey, Lavender," she said, as she bent over to scoop up the books that had dropped to the floor in the collision. She offered her hand to her brother's girlfriend, who had managed to end up on the floor along with Ginny and Ron's books, but she was already rising to her feet.

"If you're going to see Ron, don't bother," she said dejectedly. Ginny thought she saw a tear slide down Lavender's cheek, but dismissed it. "He's sleeping."

_Again?_

She was about to voice this thought, but Lavender had already walked away from her and was nearing the end of the hall. Ginny yelled out a sarcastic, yet cheerful "Nice talking with you Lavender!" at her retreating back and finished picking up her books. After performing a quick "Reparo" on her bag, she pushed through the doors of the hospital wing and was greeted by snores so deafening, she briefly wondered how Madam Pomfrey managed to sleep every night. Snores that were nearly too loud to be real.

_Asleep my arse._

"Oh, you're sleeping." Ginny's louder-than-required words filled the hospital wing and she was met with an encouraging look (_Was that a smirk?_)from a very amused Madam Pomfrey. Still, the snoring refused to cease. "Damn. I guess I'll just go back to the common room then; I hope I can reach Hermione before she comes down. She might as well not waste the trip." With that, silence filled the room and Ron turned over in his bed to face his sister.

"Hey, Ginny."

Ginny laughed quietly to herself and filed that piece of information in her brain under facts to owl Fred and George. "The sleeping marvel awakes!" she declared with derisive fervor. "I just ran into Lavender a few moments ago and I'm sure she hasn't gotten very far." She couldn't hide the smirk that crept onto her lips. "I could go let her know you're awake. You know, if you want."

"Funny," Ron replied with an air of irritation, but Ginny caught the underlying carefree tone of the remark, and she couldn't help but smile brightly. Soon the duo was laughing together cheerfully. It was the first time Ginny had heard Ron laugh since his birthday and she felt the heavy weight she had been carrying around since his poisoning lift off her shoulders.

"I've brought you schoolwork, compliments of Hermione." Ginny plopped into the chair next to a less-than-pleased Ron and pulled out textbooks, parchment, and quills from her bag.

"No chess?"

"You can beat me at chess later," Ginny teased. Ron gave in reluctantly and grabbed some parchment and a quill.

"I'll hold you to that, you know." They settled into a comfortable silence and began work on their respective essays.

A 35-inch essay describing the similarities and differences of inferi and ghosts? Um, both are dead; inferi are corporeal and ghosts are not.

Bloody hell, I miss Umbridge.

With a sigh of frustration, Ginny threw down her quill on the table in front of her. _Sod it, this is _hopelessAs hard as she tried, she could not force her mind to stay on her essay. Ron and Lavender? She knew she shouldn't bring it up with Ron, but for reasons beyond her comprehension, Ginny needed to know why he had gone there. Lavender's beautiful and brave (she is a Gryffindor after all) but she always thought that there was something between her brother and _Hermione_. Pulling forward every ounce of courage in her body and preparing herself for her brother's temper, she straitened in her chair and cleared her throat.

"Ron, can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah?" he asked, looking up at her from his own essay.

_This is your brother, and you're a _Gryffindor_ for Merlin's sake!_

"Why did you start things with Lavender?" She unconsciously flinched and braced herself for the worst, but the worst never came. Ron averted his gaze from her eyes to his lap and studied his hands for quite some time.

_Shite,_ Ginny thought, silently reprimanding herself for bringing up such a sore subject, days after her brother had nearly died. She was about to change the topic to something more upbeat, quidditch perhaps, when Ron shifted his gaze back to her eyes. What she saw there made her really wish she had never broached this subject at all. He was heart-broken.

"Do you remember what you told me that day Harry and I found you with Dean?" Ron's voice was so low, Ginny had to strain her ears to hear him properly.

_Oh._ It was at that precise moment when everything clicked inside Ginny's head. Everything that had happened in the past three months between Ron and Hermione, it all made sense…and she was to blame completely.

"You mean the bit about how Hermione had snogged Victor and how you were the only one that had never snogged before?" She hoped beyond hope she was wrong.

"Yeah."

No such luck.

"Ron, I'm sorry." Ginny's eyes searched Ron's for pardon. "What I said to you that day; it was harsh and uncalled for and I should have _never_ said it. Especially not in front of Harry and Dean."

"Don't worry about it Gin." He sounded defeated. "It's not as if anything you said wasn't true." Ginny tentatively took Ron's hand in her own and urged him to go on. "I didn't have any experience with girls," he continued, "And when you told me about Hermione and Krum…well, I just realized I'd never be able to measure up to that."

OK, so it wasn't _entirely_ her fault.

"Ron-"

"Victor _bloody_ Krum, rich, famous, better at quidditch than me; better at everything really."

"Ron-"

"How could I compete with him? Hermione deserves better than that. Better than me, at any rate…"

At this, Ginny became lost in her own thoughts. _Is that really what he reckons; that he's not good enough for Hermione? That she would rather be with Victor and give birth to a dozen or so rich, famous, perfect quidditch-playing children than be with him? If he only knew…_ It wasn't that Ron wasn't good enough for Hermione; Ron was the only one who was. Ginny should know; she'd been hearing it from Hermione ever since her second year.

"…so when Lavender came on to me after the quidditch match, I couldn't really refuse her, could I? Hermione'll never want me anyway, not after Krum."

Oh Merlin, he was a bloody _moron_.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley, you daft twit!" Ginny was officially annoyed.

"Huh?" Ron asked with a baffled look on his face; a look Ginny welcomed. Anything was better than the hurt look that had graced his face mere moments ago.

"Ron, listen to me. Hermione doesn't care about all of those things. The money and the fame, it's not important to her and you know it." She poked her finger into Ron's chest for emphasis. "You know Hermione better than anyone, except maybe Harry, so why can't you see it?" Ginny was trying her hardest to make her git of a brother understand the subtext without having to be more specific, but from the dazed look in his eyes, her plan did not appear to be working. "And she does not care for Victor Krum."

"But all those letters she pens-"

"Not as a snogging partner, anyway." There, that should have been blunt enough for him.

"But you said-"

_Or not. Merlin, he really _is_ thick._

"I know what I said Ron, but I had just been caught snogging my boyfriend by my brother. All I ever wanted was for you to feel a little bit of the embarrassment I was feeling."

"So Hermione never snogged Krum? Ron asked with hopeful exhilaration.

Ginny knew she had to choose her words wisely. "No, she did." The crestfallen look in her brother's eyes nearly broke her heart.

Hermione was going to kill her.

"But she's never talked to me about Victor the way she's talked to me about you." The hope that sprung back into Ron's expression was almost enough to erase the feeling of guilt over betraying Hermione's confidence. Almost.

Ginny was dead.

"Hermione fancies you, Ron. Not Victor, you. She has since the night in the Shrieking Shack when you risked your life to protect Harry from Sirius, and I reckon you fancy her too."

_I'd better reserve that room in St. Mungo's for Harry._

"You're wrong." His gaze fell to his lap again. Ginny had never seen him look so serious.

"What do you mean, I'm wrong?" she asked incredulously.

"I mean you're wrong. I don't fancy Hermione."

_What?_

"I'm in love with her."

_WHAT? Huh?_

"Oh." Ginny was dumbstruck, which didn't happen very often. "Wait, what? You're in love with her?"

"It was that ruddy love potion," he exclaimed with exasperation. "Ever since the Yule Ball fourth year I've known that I felt differently toward Hermione. I just didn't know what my feelings meant. At least I didn't know until I ate those blasted Chocolate Cauldrons. It may have been the potion, but for a few moments I was head-over-heels in love with Romilda Vane, and after Slughorn gave me the antidote, my feelings for Hermione finally made sense. If that's what it feels like to be in love, than that's what I am. With Hermione."

_Wow._

Ginny released a breath she hadn't even known she was holding and let her mind fully absorb everything she'd just been told. Ron was in love? She knew he had feelings for Hermione, but she'd not known how strong they were.

"I've really messed thing up with her, haven't I?" There was that hurt again. Ron's face was screwed up with guilt and his voice broke a little with his last words.

"No, I don't reckon so," Ginny replied truthfully. Despite everything that had happened between Ron and Hermione since Christmas, she was sure that Hermione still cared for her brother and she wasn't leaving this room until Ron knew that too.

"What can I do to fix this, Gin?"

"Well, you need to end things with Lavender for one." Ron's gaze began to head to his lap again, so Ginny placed his chin in-between her thumb and forefinger and lifted his eyes to hers. "And you need to talk to Hermione about this. I know you didn't mean to, but you've really hurt her Ron, and she needs to know how you feel. She deserves that."

"Yeah." He looked guilty, scared, helpless, and hopeful all at once.

_His emotional range has definitely been upgraded from teaspoon to tablespoon, at least._

"Actually, it probably wouldn't hurt if you finished your Potions essay before she comes down for a visit either," Ginny said in an attempt to brighten the somber mood that had settled in the room. "You know how Hermione feels about schoolwork." Ginny was rewarded for her efforts with a brilliant smile from Ron.

_That's better._

"She's mental, that one." Ron chuckled and picked up his quill.

Another comfortable silence settled between the duo, and they both returned to their abandoned essays. However, only a few moments had passed when Ron spoke up again.

"You are aware that when I told you there were better blokes in the world than Michael Corner, I wasn't talking about Dean Thomas, right?"

Where in the bloody hell had _that_ come from?

"What are you getting at, Ron?" Ginny asked with a hint of trepidation in her voice. _He better not be talking about what I reckon he is._

"Well," Ron uttered with hesitation. "It's just that, I-I--"

"Would you stop stuttering and spit it out already?" she snapped at him harshly. He really _was_ a daft twit.

"Ginny, you've been in love with Harry since you were five years old."

_And there it is._

"Ron, don't," she cut in sharply.

"Gin-"

"Look." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before continuing. "I have a boyfriend, ok? I'm happy with Dean, and he loves me, so-"

"Do you love _him_?"

With one simple question, her brother had surpassed everyone Ginny knew in intelligence.

"Yes—no—I don't know," She felt rather frustrated and tired all of a sudden. "What does it matter anyway? Whatever I may have had with Harry was over long before it started." Ginny sighed and slumped back in her chair, dejected.

Ron looked at his sister with concern and love. "I may be a daft git-"

"Twit."

"I may be a daft _twit_," he declared with a smirk forming on his lips, "but I'm not blind, Ginny. I've seen the looks Harry's been giving you when he reckons no one is watching and he's been distracted for months. Ever since we walked in on you and Dean, actually."

"Ron-"

"Just hear me out, ok? I know Harry just as well as I know Hermione, and maybe you should just consider taking some of your own advice."

Now it was Ginny's turn to stare at the hands tightly clasped in her lap. She honestly didn't know what to do with this new information. Hermione told her to move on last year, and she'd tried; she really had. Was it even possible to give up on someone you had been in love with for the better part of your life? And if what Ron said was true, how much time had she already wasted moving on?

Ginny took a deep breath and made a decision; Dean loved her, and she cared for him very deeply. Harry was one of her closest friends and she cared for him as well, but she couldn't live her life hoping that one day the Boy-Who-Lived would sneak a glance in her direction. It wouldn't be fair to her or Dean. Ginny was torn away from her inner dialogue by the sound of a certain bushy-haired best friend approaching Ron's bed.

"Hey, Ginny. Ron." Ginny reckoned she saw the early stages of a blush creep into Hermione's cheeks. She waved hello to the new arrival and winked nonchalantly at her brother while pointing to her cheeks. Ron's face paled.

"I ran into Dean on the way here, and he wanted me to let you know he'd be a few minutes late to lunch." Hermione spoke to Ginny but her eyes never strayed from Ron's.

"Thanks, Hermione."

"And Harry wanted to know if you fancied a fly later on," she continued distractedly still gazing at her brother.

This was shaping up to be one hell of an owl.

_I _own_ the twins._

"OK, well I've got a date, so I'll leave you two alone to catch up." She turned on her heels and headed toward the exit.

"We'll finish this later, Ginny," Ron barked at her retreating back. She spun around and mouthed, "Talk to her" out of Hermione's line of sight before she left the hospital wing to find Dean.

Harry could wait.


	2. Until Then

"_Well, you need to end things with Lavender for one." Ron's gaze began to head to his lap again, so Ginny placed his chin in-between her thumb and forefinger and lifted his eyes to hers. "And you need to talk to Hermione about this. I know you didn't mean to, but you've really hurt her Ron, and she needs to know how you feel. She deserves that."_

Hermione shook her head slightly and massaged her temple to alleviate the pain that had firmly planted itself inside her skull. She should have realized that talking to Lavender in that condition had been a bad idea, but in Hermione's defense, avoiding her path would have been nearly impossible, seeing that Lavender was looking for _her_. Apparently, she had not seen Won-Won awake since his poisoning, which surprised Hermione because he had not slept through any of her visits. Without taking a moment to ponder whether or not she should, Hermione told Lavender this and was lectured for nearly ten minutes about the morality of boyfriend stealing.

_She's one to talk…_

With the manner in which Lavender had reacted, Hermione reckoned she had accidentally revealed her plan to overthrow the Ministry for Magic. She smiled slightly to herself and continued on her trek to the hospital wing; however, all musings about her run-in with Lavender came to a halt and her stomach tied into knots when its doors came into view. She had been to visit Ron frequently over the past week and during her visits with him, they had spent a reasonable amount of time alone, but Hermione had yet to begin a visit with him alone, always accompanied by Harry or Ginny, and sudden doubt penetrated her mind. Would he feign sleep for her as well? Hermione took a few moments to compose herself before entering the hospital wing where she was greeted by the sight of Ron and Ginny conversing.

_Well, not so much conversing as Ginny staring into space and Ron fidgeting with his bed linens._

"Hey, Ginny. Ron," Hermione greeted as she walked toward the duo, sighing with relief. She had felt nothing but anger and resentment toward Ron for months, but seeing him sitting upright in bed, carrying out a conversation with his sister, filled her with elation. Ginny waved to her and she reciprocated the action, but Hermione could not force her eyes to stray from Ron's. She blushed in spite of herself and relayed Dean's message for Ginny concerning their lunch date.

_Did I give her Harry's message as well?_

Hermione could not remember because the colour in Ron's face had vanished. She was overcome with sudden worry, and should have been on her way to Madame Pomfrey's office but could not manage to make her legs to move. Ron shouted something about finishing a conversation – she noticed some colour return to his features – and then he and Hermione were alone. Immediately that blasted awkwardness, with which Hermione had grown accustomed, settled between them as both she and Ron struggled for something to say.

"How are you?" she asked, feeling instantly foolish for asking such a daft question. She understood Ron better than anyone at Hogwarts apart from Harry and Ginny, and she could tell merely by looking at him that he felt horrible. Ron's one word response of "Better" did little to ease her disappointment. He was lying and she knew they would never be able to repair their ailing friendship if he couldn't be honest with her.

Of course, she wasn't being honest with him either.

Every encounter they had suffered through since Saturday overflowed with generic questions and mindless chatter. Hermione longed for the days when a silence with Ron was comfortable and their discussions were meaningful. But she also understood how lucky they were to be communicating at all, and she would take all of the empty talk in the world over how they had been interacting just last week. Dwelling on their strained relationship only proved to increase the pressure in her skull, so heaving a discouraged sigh, Hermione resolved to disregard her situation with Ron at the moment and simply enjoy his company. Ron, unfortunately, presumed her sigh an invitation to continue with this dreadful game.

"Lovely weather we're having." Frustration threatened to overtake her, but Hermione took solace in the fact that Ron seemed just as aggravated as she felt. "Too bad I can't enjoy it, yeah?"

"Didn't Madame Pomfrey say you would be released by the end of the weekend?" Hermione knew the answer, but could think of nothing else to say. "Hopefully the weather will remain pleasant for you."

Hermione forced her mind to deviate from today's rendition of twenty questions and on to something else. Anything else. Of course as fiercely as she tried, Hermione could not prevent her mind from drifting to the reason why she and Ron were trapped in this position in the first place; the row to end all rows, as she had taken to describing it. Only two had ever been as significant as this one – third year and the Yule Ball – and after each, the transition from enemy to friend had been seamless.

_So why is this so awkward?_

She knew the answer to this question as well. She and Ron had been partaking in this contest of cat and mouse since third year, but never had they been as close to figuring out their relationship as they'd been before the…situation with Lavender. It was the reason why they'd rowed so horribly and the reason why things between them were so uncomfortable now. But the shift back to friendship could not be seamless this time because Hermione was not sure if they would ever be able to go back. Surely, they could pretend that their relationship was fine around everyone else, but they'd never be able to fool themselves into believing it was true. There would always be a sense of "what if?" between the two of them and Hermione could only visualize two ways to rectify the situation –either they could become something more, or cut ties completely.

Hermione couldn't help but feel that neither the former nor the latter was an option.

In order to banish the negative thoughts plaguing her mind, she turned to her safety net – homework – and retrieved her Advanced Potions textbook from her bag on the floor. Hermione set out to finish her essay and Ron, following her lead, thankfully did the same.

Hermione placed her quill quietly on Ron's bedside table and allowed her mind to wander from her Potions essay. Glancing up at him from under her eyelids, her thoughts inexorably drifted to the moment when Neville informed her of Ron's poisoning.

_I haven't been that scared since fourth year, when Harry reappeared after the Third Task dragging Cedric's body with him._

The thought that she had come so close to losing Ron when their relationship was on such rocky ground caused her to forgive him instantly. For everything. The awful things they had said and done to each other seemed petty and stupid now, and even if she had to watch Ron dart between thirty different "Lavenders" she would do it. Hermione would act as if he was nothing more than her best mate for the rest of her life if necessary because nothing else mattered more than getting back what she and Ron had lost, and Hermione was determined to do just that, no matter what she would be giving up in the process.

"Sickle for your thoughts?" Ron's voice startled Hermione out of her reverie and she glanced up to find that he had failed to do much more work done than she. He was studying her intently with such concern and – something else Hermione couldn't quite place and she was suddenly overwhelmed with all of the emotions she had been holding in since Ron's birthday.

"It's just so good to have you back."

She blinked back tears, struggling to smile, but as soon as she looked into his eyes, she knew he understood her meaning. To any random stranger watching their interaction, it would appear that Hermione was simply relieved that Ron had pulled through, but they both knew the statement's meaning extended much deeper.

Ron squeezed her hand, which he was somehow already holding, and Hermione felt some of the unease between them vanish as they settled into a less uncomfortable silence. Ron resumed his schoolwork but Hermione did not do the same; Potions was the last thing on her mind. She felt utterly ridiculous for acting so hesitantly toward Ron because he had been one of her best mates since first year, but nonetheless, she had engaged in the same argument with herself before each of her visits to the hospital wing – to go, or not to go. It was during this very debate today that she overheard the tail end of Ron and Ginny's conversation.

_And you need to talk to Hermione about this. I know you didn't mean to, but you've really hurt her Ron, and she needs to know how you feel. She deserves that._

Hermione had her suspicions concerning what it was Ron needed to discuss with her, but the last thing she fancied doing right now was getting her hopes up over nothing. Her emotions had taken a roller coaster ride over the past few days and if she allowed herself to feel hope about Ron's alleged feelings for her, she doubted she'd be able to prevent a mental breakdown when he inevitably rejected her. Hermione relentlessly struggled to dwell on something else, but her effort was useless. At the rate she was going, _she_ would have to copy _Ron's _Potions essay, and that was unacceptable.

_What does he need to discuss with me?_

"Ron?"

"Yeah?" He looked up from his essay and Hermione all but lost her nerve.

_I can do this_.

"Did you – um – need to talk to me about anything?" Hermione inwardly flinched as she saw the colour in Ron's face drain away.

"Wha – uh – what do you mean?" he asked with an air of apprehension in his voice.

_Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all._

"I just overheard Ginny advising you to talk to me but – I – well – if you don't want to, that's fine," she said, trying to sound casual and failing miserably.

_How can I act casual regarding something so significant?_

"Hermione – I…"

She looked intently at Ron, waiting for him to continue with baited breath, and when he did not, she fought back tears of disappointment and glanced down at her hands, clasped tightly in her lap.

"Did you hear anything else Ginny and I talked about?" His tone wasn't accusing, but even so, it caused Hermione's anxiety level to increase ten-fold.

"No," she answered blankly, praying to any god who would listen for a temporary loophole in the anti-Apparition ward at Hogwarts. She hadn't even realized she was crying until she felt the tears spill from her eyes and onto her hands. He was grasping blindly for a way out of this and she was about to give up and leave Ron to his studies when she heard him mumble a few unidentifiable words.

"What?"

"I said, I'm sorry."

Ron and Hermione had been through their fair share of rows during their six-year friendship, but this was the first time he had ever properly apologized to her. She was so flabbergasted by his words that she replied with the first statement to come to mind.

"It's all right, don't worry about it." It was a daft, textbook answer but Hermione was at a loss for words.

"No Hermione, it's not all right. We haven't spoken properly in months and I've been a complete prat."

_Yes you have, but so have I._

It was as if Hermione had somehow lost the ability to use her vocal chords and as she silently sat by Ron – hands in lap, eyes on hands – she could physically feel his gaze boring into the top of her head.

"Christ Hermione, would you bloody look at me?" The words were harsh, but his tone was more frustrated than anything else and he thoughtfully placed his thumb and forefinger under her chin to force her gaze upward.

"Are you ok?"

It was this question that finally broke Hermione's strong resolve.

"No, I'm not ok," she shouted in aggravation. "How could I be?" Ron recoiled at the discordant timbre of her voice and dropped his fingers from her chin.

"You nearly died Ron, and the last thing I'd said to you was that Peeves would have made a better Prefect." Guilt and regret flooded her senses and Hermione wrenched her eyes away from Ron's.

"If I'd lost you," she said, her voice barley above a whisper, "well, I don't reckon I would have been able to live with myself." Hermione swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and hastily swiped at her tear-stained cheeks.

"Hermione-"

"You've been horrible to me Ron," she continued, ignoring Ron's attempts to hinder her declaration.

"I know I have, and I'm sor-"

"I know." Hermione gathered every ounce of courage she possessed and turned to face Ron.

"As dreadful as you've been though, I've been just as awful. I was hurt, but you didn't deserve to be treated so terribly and I'm sorry too."

Hermione and Ron stood meters apart gazing at each other, afraid to speak for fear of breaking the spell that had descended upon them. They were on the verge of a major breakthrough – Hermione could feel it. But where could they go from here? Someone needed to make the first move and she was about to do just that when the moment was broken by the sound of the bell, signifying the end of lunch. Hermione moved to gather her things but was interrupted when Ron seized her arm in an act to halt her.

"What are you doing?" he asked abruptly.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Hermione was overcome with annoyance and frustration for her situation with Ron. The opportunity to finally fix their relationship had passed and she grudgingly freed herself from Ron's grasp in order to continue collecting her belongings.

"Where are you going?"

"I have class, Ron." She finished gathering her things and started to move toward the hospital wing doors when Ron jumped out of bed, raced over to her, and spun her around to face him.

"You shouldn't be out of bed," she said, but he did not appear to hear her. He had a determined air about him and he grabbed both of her arms in his hands.

"Skive off, we need to finish this."

"We can finish this later," Hermione said, but in her heart she knew that it wasn't true. They'd never finish this. She shrugged out of Ron's grip and turned to leave again but Ron's words immobilized her with exasperation.

"No Hermione, we need to do it now."

Didn't he know that was impossible? She was about to argue her point farther when, without warning, Ron fell to his knees and doubled over in pain.

"RON!" Pushing any thoughts of class from her mind, Hermione dropped her bag to the floor and rushed to Ron's side. In a panic, she called out frantically for Madame Pomfrey while simultaneously falling to the floor next to Ron and rolling him onto his back. She began to stroke his hair comfortingly in an effort to ease his discomfort and was about to bellow for the healer again when she heard her office door burst open.

"What is the meaning of all this rack – Ms. Granger, what's happened?" she worriedly asked, briskly walking toward the spot on the ground where Hermione was kneeling next to Ron. She was whispering calm reassurances to him, but her mind was anything but calm and she could not seem to put together a coherent thought.

"I – we…um – he…"

"Relax, Ms. Granger. Ron will be fine, but I need you to explain how this happened," Madame Pomfrey replied sympathetically.

"Yes, ma'am." Hermione felt her anxiety subside at the healer's kind words and attempted to answer her question. "I was leaving – he didn't want me to, you see – so he leapt out of bed to stop me, and he – he fell over."

"Thank you, dear. Now if you could just help me put Mr. Weasley back in bed, I'll go fetch him a potion for his pain."

"No," Ron groaned, obstinately.

"Mr. Weasley, I must insist that –"

"The pain is going away." Ron stifled a gasp of pain, but he was not quick enough for Hermione. "Really," he added at the wary look on her face.

"All right, but you must stay in bed, or I won't have a choice but to give you the potion."

"Yes, ma'am."

Madame Pomfrey checked Ron one last time and set off for her office, but not before ensuring that Hermione would fetch her if anything else went amiss. When they were alone again, Hermione sank into her chair and watched as her friend struggled to find a comfortable position. He must have sensed her stare though, because Ron stopped moving and looked toward her. The awkwardness from before had returned with a vengeance, and Hermione once again prayed for a way out.

"FUCK!"

She cringed outwardly at his harsh tone and choice of words but refrained from admonishing him. This was neither the time nor the place.

"Are you all right?" she asked instead.

" I hate this," he bellowed into the empty room. "I'm rubbish at everything, Hermione. I've let Harry down, I'm too much of a coward to face Lavender, and I've made a complete mess of us," he said, pointing between Hermione and himself. "Fuck, I can't even get out of bed without hurting myself."

"Ron –"

"It's no wonder you snogged Krum."

"I would hardly call it snogging, and be–"

Hermione stopped herself when her brain caught up with what Ron had spoken.

_Wait, how does he…_

"How do you know about Victor and me?"

_If Ginny told him, I swear to Merlin I'll –_

"Ginny told me."

…_kill her._

"What? When? How?" she stuttered in quick succession. All of her blood had rushed from her head to her stomach. She was going to be sick.

"Harry and I caught Ginny with Dean and she started spouting off about how I was the only wizard at Hogwarts who hadn't snogged anyone, so I –"

"When?" she interrupted.

"Just before Christmas."

Ron carried on with his explanation but Hermione didn't hear a word of it. Sudden comprehension had flooded her mind and she could neither see nor hear anything else.

_Just before Christmas_.

"Is that why you did it?" It wasn't a specific question, but Ron didn't need any further explanation.

"Yes."

"Why?" she cried out with painful exasperation. There was no stopping the tears that quickly formed and fell from Hermione's eyes this time. Ron was fidgeting again, now from nervousness instead of pain, and he glanced down at his hands, wringing in his lap.

"I reckoned I'd never be able to compare to him – that I'd never be good enough for you."

"So, what, you thought that snogging Lavender would make it all better?"

"Yes. I mean no…well – I…you deserve the best Hermione. Better than me…"

Ron trailed off and the tension between them reached new, stratospheric heights. Hermione had a hard time believing this was how Ron truly felt, but one look at his slumped shoulders and downtrodden eyes confirmed his words as truth. It was the most open and honest Ron had ever been with her and Hermione would not just sit there and lead him to believe he was right.

"I wish you had talked to me about this instead of – of…"

"So do I," he responded. "Everything would be different now, if I had."

_Yes, it would. Very different indeed._

"It's not too late, you know." Hermione supposed that it truly wasn't too late, and for the first time, she actually believed the two of them would be able to straighten this whole mess out. Ron's posture instantly straightened and her heart swelled as he admired her with hope and wonderment.

He believed it too.

"No, I don't reckon it is," Ron said, breathlessly. His tone was soft and gentle as he placed his palm on Hermione's cheek in order to wipe away the tears that were falling from her eyes. The atmosphere in the hospital wing was suddenly charged with possibility and even though her tears were gone, Ron did not remove his hand from her face. Instead, he began to caress her cheek with his thumb and Hermione was frozen in anticipation. His gaze briefly shifted to her mouth and back, but as quick as the action was, it did not go unnoticed. She watched in awe as Ron licked his lips hungrily and she unconsciously licked her own as his forehead tilted down to rest on hers.

_Oh Merlin, he's going to kiss me._

"Ron?" she asked in breathless anticipation; a question left unanswered as his lips descended on hers.

The kiss was chaste at first, but it quickly turned more passionate and Hermione felt herself on the verge of losing control. His tongue trailed along her teeth, pleading for admission and Hermione could feel Ron surrender all of himself to her. Overcoming the urge to run, she gave in to Ron and followed his lead, pouring her heart and soul out to him: the anger, the frustration, the hurt, the passion, the love. Every feeling she had ever experienced for Ron but could not put into words, she put into kissing him.

Ron's lips left Hermione's and she whimpered in protest, but the whimper quickly turned into a moan of bliss as he began to trail sweet butterfly kisses across her jaw. Her restraint slipped even farther. She became light-headed and when the trail came to an end at her pulse point, a shock wave of pure, unadulterated pleasure radiated through her body. He nipped at the spot on her neck just behind her ear and Hermione was suddenly lost, drowning in a sea of desire and love. She tilted her head just so in order to grant Ron better access and made a mental note to thank Lavender for his wonderful technique when an emotion that had nothing to do with love, passion, or desire settled into her gut. It was guilt.

Lavender.

"Ron –" Hermione tried to draw Ron out of his lustful state, but the assertion of his name resonated as a moan and Ron's mouth moved from her neck to her lips, increasing in pressure and fervour.

Suddenly, the drowning sensation Hermione had just praised felt stifling and dishonest and she mentally reprimanded herself for losing control the way she had. She removed her hands from Ron's hair and placed them on his chest, prepared to use force if necessary.

"Ron," she declared vehemently but he still continued to kiss her soundly.

"Merlin, 'Mione."

'_Mione?_

This had to end now.

"Ron, stop," Hermione uttered, gently pushing him away with her hands. He reluctantly ended the kiss and studied her eyes with trepidation when he seemed to notice the anxiety radiating from them.

"What's wrong, love?"

_Is he trying to kill me?_

"What are you feeling right now?" she asked with an air of determination in her voice. Hermione had not planned on hashing all of this out today, but that kiss had changed things.

It had changed everything, really.

Hermione did not know what answer to expect, but the answer he ultimately gave had never entered her mind as a possibility.

"Well, I reckon I'm in love with you."

_Sod Lavender._

"Oh, Ron…"

Hermione threw her arms around Ron and cried into his shoulder, finally allowing herself to feel all of the emotions she had been holding back since Christmas. Ron loved her.

"'Mione – shh – don't cry, love."

Hermione slowly quieted her tears and lifted her head up to study Ron's face. What she saw reflected in his eyes was a look she had only seen in her fantasies.

_I've been waiting years for him to look at me that way._

Hermione was lost again, and suddenly could not remember why kissing Ron was a bad idea. It wasn't until a few moments later, as Ron found that glorious spot on her neck again, that her memories came rushing back to the forefront of her mind.

"Ron," she declared while pushing him away again.

"Hmm?" He looked so flustered and just as lost as Hermione felt.

_Wow._

She shook her head and tried to focus her mind on the task at hand; however, it was proving more difficult the longer she waited and she was dangerously close to losing control again.

"Ron, we can't do this."

"Why not?" It was an innocent question full of hurt and confusion and she felt her heart begin to crack.

"Have you forgotten about your girlfriend? Lavender? Won-Won? Does any of this sound familiar to you?"

Hermione could literally feel all of the tension, momentarily forgotten, rush back into the room like a tsunami. She braved a look at Ron and her heart firmly broke in two at the devastation she saw written on his face. It abruptly occurred to her that he had poured his heart out to her and all she had done was kiss him, cry on his shoulder, and remind him about his girlfriend.

_Shite._

"Ron,"

"No, it's all right. I get it."

_No, he doesn't._

"Ron, I –"

"I should have known solving this issue with us wouldn't be easy."

"Ron, listen to me." She looked straight into his eyes and said what she had been waiting for three years to say. "I've been in love with you for a very long time. When you agreed to go to Professor Slughorn's Christmas party with me, I'd never been happier, but then I saw you with Lavender, and…I – I've never been quite that hurt."

"Is that why you went with McLaggan? To get even with me?"

"I wanted you to be jealous and I reckon a part of me wanted to hurt you for getting off with her, but I knew as soon as I arrived at the party with him that I'd made a mistake."

_And not just because he wouldn't let me be all night, either. It wasn't Cormac's fault that I'd wanted to be there with someone else._

"I'm so sorry, Hermione," he pleaded and Hermione detected a hitch in his voice. "I've been terrible and I wouldn't blame you if you don't forgive me."

He had it all wrong.

"No Ron, that's not what I was suggesting." She paused in order to make certain he would allow her go on without interruption. When he stayed silent, she continued. "The pain I felt when I saw you with her was raw, deep, and very real. It has taken me a long time to overcome it and I refuse to sit here and let you be the cause of that pain for Lavender, as well. I may not care for her much, but she doesn't deserve that type of treatment and I would never forgive myself if I allowed it to happen."

Silence proceeded Hermione's words as both she and Ron pondered all that had been said between the two of them since her arrival in the hospital wing.

"What can I do to fix this, Hermione?" It was the question of the hour, and she only had one answer.

"I love you, Ron, and I want to be with you more than I've ever wanted anything, but I won't be the other woman. It's not fair to you, me, or Lavender, and I can't do it." It was a testament to Hermione's courage that she didn't run crying when her declaration was met with deafening silence. Instead she asked the question that had been eating away at her mind for months.

"Are you happy with her?" She held her breath, waiting for Ron's response. When he did reply, she had to strain her ears to hear him properly.

"How can I be happy with Lavender, when I'm in love with you?"

"Then why haven't you left her?" Hermione felt as if she and Ron were traveling in circles and her frustration, as well as those ruddy tears, threatened to engulf her once more.

"I honestly don't know, but I do know that I love you too, and I would never make you the other woman. After everything I've put you through, you deserve better and I never want to hurt you again." Ron's proclamation was spoken with such care and affection that Hermione nearly kissed him again.

_He loves me and never wants to hurt me again, yet he's still with Lavender._

Hermione realized what she was about to ask was a tad bold and completely out of character for her, but she knew she would never be able to rest until she had the answer.

"Could you ever…I mean…um…what I'm trying to say is…" Hermione was floundering. She was aware that she had to ask him this, but couldn't quite figure out how to phrase it.

"What is it, Hermione?"

_Just ask him, already._

"Would you be willing to end things with Lavender…for me?" She grimaced slightly at the presumptuousness she had demonstrated and prepared for another row with Ron, but he surprised her by taking her hands and looking into her eyes with compassion and love.

"'Mione, I'd do anything for you." A bright smile graced Ron's features and somehow, Hermione knew that it was reserved for her alone. She threw herself into his arms, and finally allowed herself to believe that everything would truly work out in the end.

"So, until then?" she asked hopefully, pulling back from their embrace in order to see his face.

"Until then."

Hermione smiled brightly at Ron and the couple settled into a silence that was anything but awkward.


End file.
